synoptic problem chronological indicators

                                   CHRONOLOGICAL INDICATORS.
                                                            “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecc.3:1)
                              THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY IS A STUDY OF WORDS OF GOD.

       Literature consists of thoughts or ideas expressed in words. Literature conveys ideas which are
   related to other ideas and these ideas are expressed in words which relate to other words. When
   words are put together that have a relationship with each other, they contain particular words that
   define the nature of that relationship. Words relate to each other by defining subject, action, time
   and space. If one of these is not indicated there is uncertainty in the information given. Historical
   literature to be of any use to a later reader must define the subject, the action, the time and the
   location. The Bible is largely historical literature. Particular words indicate chronological order
   either directly or indirectly. When those words begin a statement they are either in themselves
   an introduction, i.e. dates, or they indicate that the thought contained within that statement follows
   the thought contained in the previous statement. Other words contained elsewhere within a
   statement also refer to things mentioned in a previous statement, indicating a dependency,
   therefore the later statement follows. The things which indicate chronological order are;
Dates indicate chronological order, also names of parts of the year, names of days or parts thereof.
   e.g. festivals, particular months, morning evening, at that time, etc.
Ordinal numbers. e.g. firstly, secondly etc.
Temporal adverbs. E.g. When, then, after, now, before, etc.
Particular verbs. Some verbs are dependent upon a particular situation. Such as, “reply” and
   “answer,” which imply a question having already been put forward. Likewise, “it came to pass”
   implies an action has already occurred and introduces one to come.The present tense takes the
   reader back into that time frame. So when the writer writes, “says” instead of “said” the
   intention is that one lives through what has been recorded. This indicates that chronology is set.
   For if the author’s intention is that the reader relive an historical event, how can it be done
   except that each event is recorded in chronological order.
Participles: Some participles such as “having been loosed, being loosed, having become” tend to
   imply a certain situation already exists and the idea introduced by the participle therefore follows
   that situation.
Imperatives. Commands are given to an audience, which has usually already been defined. It is
   highly unlikely that a totally independent event would ever be introduced by such a declaration
   such as “Look” or “but look.”
Relative pronoun. A relative pronoun if it begins a statement indicates dependency, because it
   refers to a person or thing already named.
Personal pronouns. These indicate dependency. The personal pronoun, except the first person
personal pronoun, substitutes for a preceding person, therefore it must follow it. Likewise
pronouns substitute for a preceding noun. See example following.
Nouns. Such as “the twelve,” and “the Pharisees,” when used as subjects or objects, and then
again immediately referred to as either subjects or objects indicate a dependency.
Demonstratives such as “which” and “that”, always introduce a dependent statement and
therefore indicate chronological order
Interrogatives. These in asking a question refer to someone previously mentioned. Therefore
they indicate following order.
Conjunctions. “But” always indicates chronological order for it contrasts the idea to come
with the idea previously stated and is therefore dependent upon it.“Because” indicates the
idea to come is the result of the idea just mentioned. “And” almost always indicates
chronological order in that it adds the idea to come to the idea previously stated and is dependent
upon its completion. However in a more simple use it may be used to merely indicate that two or
more ideas, things or actions are present. E.g. a shopping list: or a description of an inanimate
scene. However once the scene is animated by some event occurring, then ideas tend to become
chronologically dependent otherwise, irrelevancy is introduced.
Negatives & Affirmatives. “Yes, no, neither, none, certainly, indeed” are replies to previous
   questions and therefore indicates that it is a dependent statement.
Dialogue must be set in narrative to give it reference to time and space. While it is possible for
   dialogue to precede narrative this is rare and usually confined to poetry or fiction where it is
   used for dramatic effect. Dialogue does not precede narrative in the historic books of the Old
Testament, the Gospels or Epistles but it does occur in the Psalms.
Themes, episodes, events or incidents often indicate chronological order. There is an overall
   theme to each Gospel and that is the atonement but there are lesser themes, episodes, events
   or incidents that fit into that overall theme to produce a climax in the crucifixion. In many
   instances it is plain that some events must precede others. In other cases it is not so plain.
   However within a certain event or episode there must be a chronological order so that it holds
   together for it to be even considered an event. Since this is the case the only instance where
   discontinuity in chronological order may occur is between events.
Literature qualities such as irony, contrast, emphasis or reinforcement of ideas also often give
   an indication of chronological order and integrity of the document.
Prophecy and its fulfilment occur in the Gospels. Where it occurs, it indicates chronological order,
   for the prophecy must come first and the fulfilment second.
   A Quotation of the Old Testament follows its introduction.
   Geography, indirectly illustrates chronology when it is plain that a set route is being followed or
   that a series of events all occur in the one location.
Logic. Some events by their very nature must follow another stated event.

AN EXAMPLE OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS AS CHRONOLOGICAL INDICATORS.
               Consider the following three statements:

   I)    The boy jumped over the fox.
   II)   The boy shot the fox.
   III) The fox bit the boy.

       These three sentences stating three separate events have no chronological relationship to
   each other. There is no way of telling what the order of events are, or indeed whether they
   have any relationship whatsoever to each other. There could feasibly be three separate boys
   and three separate foxes.
        Normally temporal adverbs or conjunctions added to the sentences will define that
   relationship and thereby indicate dependency and hence chronology. However dependency
   and chronology can be indicated without temporal adverbs or conjunctions, simply by the
   use of pronouns as follows:

   i) The fox bit the boy.
   ii) He shot it.
   iii) He jumped over it.

       It can be seen that there is now a sequence of events. The last sentences are dependent upon
   the first. If the sentences were rearranged they would not make sense. “He jumped over it,”
   could not come first. You would not know who “he” is or what” it’ is. Therefore personal
   pronouns independent of conjunctions and temporal adverbs can indicate sequence and hence
   chronology. Logic tells us that it is very difficult to jump over a fox before it is shot.

CONTEXT.
      Theology is the study of God as revealed in His word. Theology is therefore also a study of
   words and their relationship to each other. The relationship of one word to another or one
   event, described by words, to another event also described by words, forms its context. It is
   important to realize that chronology is an integral component of context. Without considering
   context, many parts of the Bible could not be satisfactorily studied. If one were to say, as Papias
   and many false scholars say, that the Gospels are a collection of sayings orally communicated by
   the Apostles and passed on to several generations of the Church before being set down in writing
   by a group of editors, which implies an indeterminate chronology, then one is saying that essentially
   context has little or no meaning in the Gospels. Yet the history of cults is that they continually take
   Gospel sayings out of context and misapply them. Context is important.

CONCLUSION.
        It can be seen that more than just dates and temporal adverbs indicate chronology in literature.
   The conveying of ideas through words in literature can be quite complex and subtle. Generally
   speaking the more sophisticated a work, the more information that is contained in that work though
   less obvious means. That is where the beauty of language lies.The foregoing are the things looked
   for and used in assessing each particular portion of the Gospels as to its chronological definiteness
   or otherwise.